27

Archambault Academy sits close to the top of a waterfall; as you walk with Pascal, you hear the roar of the water. A dizzying array of towers and spires soar high against the sunset sky. At the entrance stands an enormous marble statue of a rearing stag.

"That's Archie," Pascal says affectionately. "Been here for centuries. Lovely boy, isn't he?"

The whole place is ancient. Even the more modern gas lamps have been carefully blended with antique stonework and ornate stone carvings of animals and vines. Pascal is eager to explain where everything is, and the history of the architecture. Even if you wished to, it's hard to get in a word edgewise.